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UK Relocation: Right to Rent Checks

Nov

11

UK Relocation: Right to Rent Checks

The UK government has announced that Right to Rent checks will take effect across England from 1 February 2016. This legislation will impact international assignees relocating to England who plan to rent a property.

The Rules

Prior to renting a property, prospective tenants will have their immigration documents checked to ensure that they have a legal right to reside in the country. This check will be carried out by the landlord and is designed to reduce the number of immigration offenders. Landlords who fail to do this will be breaking the law and will face a fine of up to £3,000 for each tenant who is not checked.

Currently, this legislation applies only to those renting a property in England. It is expected that the scheme will be extended to Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, although it is unlikely that this will be done before February 2016.

Background

This is the second phase of the UK Government’s Right to Rent checks. They were initially introduced under the Immigration Act 2014 on 1 December last year, in parts of Birmingham, Walsall, Sandwell, Dudley, and Wolverhampton.

Impact on International Assignees

Assignees should ensure that they are prepared with their immigration documents before departing on home-finding trips. This will save time once they have found a suitable rental property and need to present their documents to the landlord.

About Kerry

Kerry Martin is Client Services Director based in the Cartus Swindon office. She joined Cartus in 2007 and, in addition to working on a number of client engagements, has managed many continuous improvement initiatives to enhance client services.

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